* * Larry Bingham * *
Many O readers are unemployed against their wishes, and would love to have a (paid) job, perhaps like yours.

I don't think your comments can defend against terrible photos - in my ignorance, I believe when the O puts a photo to a story, "a picture is worth 1,000 words". If you write about problems on Wisteria curve, the photo should at least show what the curve looks like.

"...I think it's helpful to articulate how our world works these days". I don't understand how that is part of your explanation. If the O is working you too hard, consider something else. I worked hard for 40 years doing many, many business meetings while doing other multiple tasks. No sympathy here.

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Us homeowners have wanted speed bumps on SE Woodward going west from SE 74th to SE 52, which is all an open straightaway for fast driving-automobiles. We were told 5 years ago that each speed bump would cost $3,000 and the project waned. Granted, the Alameda crowd pays more in property taxes that South Tabor, but seriously folks...

BTW, Larry Bingham, it looks like you have copied Joe Rose's method of galloping out of the O's offices near sunset, to grab a single photo of the scene on your cell phone. Your photo here is terrible. In fact, it's not recognizable as any neighborhood... it's lousy. Tell your editors you're sorry.

* * bluespark * *
I can understand your comment, because I have to be in a fairly good mood to tune in their show. However, I get 2 opportunities, 10 am on Sat, and 11 am on Sun, so I listen about 80% of the time. I wonder if they will keep open the Car Talk website, and its feature, "Find A Mechanic", which is an excellent source for help if your older car has a problem. I have used it very well on 2 occasions.

I do not care for "A Prairie Home Companion", which comes on both weekend days. That show, too, has given notice that it (and Keeler) is retiring in less than 2 years. I hope they throw away their re-runs, as they play many weekends already. That show is way too much of a variety show, and too many comments about Minnesota Lutherans (I just get bored, I don't care, and I'm not Lutheran).

That show, however, could keep up Keeler's "Lake Woebegoe" section, which is often hilarious about the life and times of Lake Woebegon. Keeler does it without a script, I understand. Sometimes that shows, but often that part of the show is wonderful. Connected to that show, is Keeler's literary blog on NPR every weekday evening at 9:50 pm; it is recorded for that day, original, and excellent contents by Keeler, about various famous (and unknown) literary people and their works.

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West Linn must be an exciting place: govt employee embezzelments, public school sex abuses, mayorial weirdness and resignations, et al. I'll keep my head down over here in South Tabor. Our biggest transgressions, are the bicyclists always blowing the stop signs...

* * tomy * *
How could you see his slip/keyboard - were you sitting on his lap? By your postings, you're in bed with the rich (fritz?) and the greedy desires of the GOP. You've left no details other than your postname about yourself, not even if you live in Oregon. A few days ago, there was a man in Lake Oswego posting (and posing) as a 13 year old boy. Was that you?

Your keyboard slipped. You spell it "Mitt Romney and his billionaire buddies, and the Republican National Committee". Don't forget to type in all the Republicans in Congress who want to continue the Bush tax cuts for the "rich". Fritz, that could, I suppose, also be spelled "ritz".

I connect this tax theft to Romney, because Romney is biased to rich Republican billionaires. He even loves non-billionaire jackasses like Donald Trump and Lush Rimbaugh. Romney will want to go along with all the massive "tax cuts for the rich" that the GOP wants.

What - defrauding/underpaying $2.1 million in personal income taxes - doesn't make everybody think of Romney under-paying his taxes at 13% while most of us pay at a much higher rate (and we don't have the hundreds of $ millions that Romney has, either).

I view Romney as a tax cheat, part of the Republican thugs cheating on America.

* *
I live on a quiet residential street in SE. Some on my street have driveways, and street parking is okay.

But many of our houses lack sidewalks; at least my street is paved. The street behind my block is not paved, and there are others. Yet... within 4 blocks of my house, are 5 churches, one a Mormon church that takes up 2 city blocks. So do the Christian churches. My conclusion: my specific neighborhood lacks a City tax base income, to support building/maintaining residential properties. The churches use so much of the available property "tax free" that the rest of us suffer. Join the club.

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When I was a manager in Boise, ID my business clients made it very clear that "good business was only done with Salt Lake". My two female secretaries were Mormon, and one reported to a local Mormon 'bishop' who was one of my clients. Mormonism is rampant in ID and UT, and it's no surprise that Idaho is jumping to Mormon ideas (not: ideals) by banning "Five Wives". The very idea of "Five Wives" is so vague, that Mormons anywhere shouldn't care, even the Jack Mormons who might drink it.

As "kedsokedso" has already posted, why should Mormons care about a vodka brand? Perhaps... if had been labeled, "Five Mormon Wives", or "Five Catholic Wives", or "Five Jewish Wives", somebody might get offended, but let's all get real here, folks.

* *
The O and other media have given this WA booze issue a lot of coverage. I live in PDX, and don't care, because I only drink beer, not hard liquors. I wondered how much of a cost savings to buy booze in OR instead of WA? If I lived in Longview WA- it's only a couple miles for many residents to easily cross the bridge to Rainier (say, when already buying groceries etc), I'd probably buy in OR. But if I lived in Kalama or north of Vancouver, I might not do it. I think it would depend on your monthly booze use.

Would the supposed "savings" apply to my favorite, beer, would I drive from PDX to WA to buy beer? No. And I think this booze issue will gradually go away.

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Michael Caine and Donald Sutherland seem to me a matched pair, and they are some of my favorites. Michael Caine has some extremely hard to pronounce Cockney surname, that he still uses in private life.

He tells the story that, as an unknown actor, he is standing in Picadilly Circus and uses a pay phone to check in with his agent. The agent gives him good news -he has a nice acting job, but he has to pick a stage name, because his Cockney name won't work. Michael looks around, and sees two movie marqees: "101 Dalmations", and "The Caine Mutiny".

* *
Interesting that you take this point of looking at the transient lives of actors... author John D. McDonald in one of his Travis McGee novels, remembers the opening shot in the M*A*S*H television series of a pretty young lady in fatigues, rushing to take the wounded off a helicopter. McDonald wondered how many millions of times the young lady had that scene, around the world.

* *
Fort Vancouver - stockade plus museum shop, are very interesting. The National Park Service has done an excellent job re-creating the original Dr. John McLoughlin's fort, complete with original style home, blacksmithy, and bakery, and other buildings.

The complete area gives an historic idea of what greeted the first Oregon Trail wagon trains, as well as the merging of French Canada, Northwest Indian tribes, the missionaries, and the hopeful American farmers. Well worth the visit, even if the sun isn't out... and jetliners are taking off across the river at PDX.

Your continued postings seem to show that you aren't 13 at all, you're much older, and I do believe you live in Lake Oswego. You are trying to shine us on with your "postings" - the one post above is at 10:37 PM - you've been posting for hours. You are just another lying, posturing Romney believer.